For example, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell employs a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) as its major component. The MEA is composed of an electrolyte membrane and electrode catalyst layers stacked on both sides of the electrolyte membrane. Each of these electrode catalyst layers may be stacked, for example, as a catalyst layer for an anode or as a catalyst layer for a cathode. A MEA including a diffusion layer stacked on the surface of an electrode catalyst layer is also preferably used. Thermal transfer is an often-used technique for stacking an electrode catalyst layer on an electrolyte membrane in such a MEA. Patent Literature 1 describes a method for consecutive thermal transfer of catalyst layers onto an electrolyte membrane in view of operation efficiency, the method including: forming a stack of a band-like electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer-carrying film carrying a catalyst layer; passing the stack between a pair of thermal transfer rolls heated to a predetermined temperature; and then peeling off only the catalyst layer-carrying film. Patent Literature 2 describes a method for producing a MEA, the method including: joining an electrode catalyst layer, formed on a transfer sheet used as a substrate, to a polymer electrolyte membrane by hot press (heat press); and then peeling off the substrate. That is, this method performs thermal transfer of an electrode catalyst layer onto a polymer electrolyte membrane.